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Entries from December 2014

December 24, 2014

Recently, I was driving down the street listening to Mariah Carey singing her very peppy version of “All I Want for Christmas.” It caused me to think about what I would want for Christmas if I could have anything but just one single thing. I have reached a point in life where I no longer have a great desire for material things. That is not to say that I don’t enjoy cool gadgets and pretty clothes like we all do but they really no longer top my list. I was not sure of what that one thing would be that would be my top choice.

The very next day, I actually got the gift that topped my list, but the funny thing was I did not realize it until it happened. What happened was that Elvis, a dog that I, like all of our staff and volunteers, have loved and cheered for as he has dealt courageously with his paralysis, got adopted to a wonderful couple. They somehow walked through our doors looking to adopt him and had all the right attributes of both personal devotion and commitment as well as understanding and skill to care for him and make his life a good one.

To be honest, this amazing event happened after I had had a long series of events and outcomes that felt very discouraging, disillusioning and/or anger producing. I found myself at the holiday season in a sour mood because it all seemed to be so very futile and frustrating. I must admit that many of these experiences had been illustrations of the irresponsibility, cruelty and selfishness that humans can display with regard to animals and some were examples of the disparagement of the importance of our mission by people and companies. It all caused me to feel very pessimistic about the prospects for moving the needle in the direction of better treatment for animals.

Then, just like a true miracle, this remarkable thing came along to give me the gift I really needed without knowing I did – something to recharge my hope, commitment and positive outlook. The perfect adopters came looking for our precious Elvis into whom this organization and its staff and volunteers had poured so much heart, love, time, money and sustained effort. You could never list all the people associated with the Richmond SPCA who had loved and been devoted to that adorable guy. From our medical team to our kennel staff to our green team volunteers to our other staff members – they had given him love, walks, playtime, a personalized wheelchair, training to move well in the wheelchair, a home at Thanksgiving - well, I could just go on and on. As a result of all this loving care and attention, Elvis had even started to walk again which really no one would ever have thought possible when he first came into our care last spring after being deserted by his prior owner who would not deal with his physical challenges of paralysis from the mid-section down.

Then, this wonderful lady materialized in our adoption center on December 17. She said that she and her husband had recently lost their beloved elderly dog and they wanted to adopt a dog who truly needed them. Her husband had some physical challenges and mobility issues too and they had read about Elvis's own similar problems. It seemed like a perfect fit and a really rewarding thing for them to do together.

What a gift it was – both to Elvis and to his adopters and to me. As I watched this woman learn patiently from our staff members about all that she would need to do for Elvis, and as I saw that she paid careful attention to what she was being told but never once balked or seemed to rethink the commitment to him, I realized that the world does actually have people in it who truly recognize and feel grateful for all the remarkable things that animals bring to our lives and do for our spirits. These people are willing to give of themselves unselfishly and love unqualifiedly to return those favors to animals in need. I realized that the world is not just composed of hard-hearted and self-centered people. While there are undoubtedly a fair number of people who do not care about animals or do not value our mission or see it as a priority, there are enough people who recognize the importance of animals and our responsibilities to them to make our work possible, our mission achievable and our future bright. The existence and great accomplishments of the Richmond SPCA, in fact, are a testament to the fact that, for generations, there have been many people in our community who care deeply about animals and who have been willing to give generously to help us save them.

And, so I hope that you too will derive a great gift from Elvis’ story like I did. Animals bring to us a little bit of heaven on earth. They make each day we have with them a little Christmas by giving us the experience of unconditional love in our lives. I don’t think the real miracle was that Elvis is walking again or that he was brought to one of the few humane organizations that would have put the time, money and love into saving his life or that the right adopters finally came along for him. The miracle was the way he restored my hope and belief in my fellow man. Thank you, Elvis, you gave me the best gift possible for the holidays. Have a wonderful life.

Robin Robertson Starr is the chief executive officer of the Richmond SPCA. To read her biography or that of our other bloggers, please click here. Before posting a comment, please review our comment guidelines. Please note that our comment policy requires both your first and last name to be used as your screen name.

December 11, 2014

For a fourth year in a row, Priority Automotive has teamed up with the Richmond SPCA to ensure that dogs and cats in our care find lasting homes in time for the holidays. From Dec. 4-19, Priority is covering the cost of adoption fees for all animals. In the first five days, Priority has sponsored adoption fees for more than 115 pets! While this is not the first year this partnership has occurred, the news came as a pleasant surprise to some adopters.

Take Bonnie Surma for example – this mother was looking for a kitten as a holiday gift for her two children. “I was really grateful that I did not have to listen to a list of electronics and games this year, so a little kitty seemed perfect,” Surma explained. Her family came across a 3-month-old tabby kitten named Robert on the Richmond SPCA website. A few days later they piled in the car and came down to the Robins-Starr Human Center, elated to find that Robert was still available for adoption. Not having heard about our adoption promotion, Surma was delivered the news that Robert’s adoption fee had been paid for by Priority Automotive. “Thanks so much to Priority Automotive for making this donation… It was truly a blessing at a perfect time.” With the money the family saved from the adoption fee, the Surmas purchased essential items for Robert at our Lora Robins Gift Shop.

King and Duchess explore their new home thanks to Caroline Lamberti

Similarly, Erica Saunders had been searching for a new canine companion to join her family. She met a Chihuahua mix named Rascal at our humane center and fell in love. Like the Surma family, Saunders was shocked that Priority Automotive had covered the adoption fee. With the unexpected extra money, Saunders decided to make a donation back to the Richmond SPCA “to help in the process of finding other pets their lifetime homes.”

Testimonials from other recent adopters have followed suit. Caroline Lamberti adopted two cats now named King and Duchess and used her adoption fee money on cat essentials and plenty of treats and toys.

Andrew Scott with his new addition, Kipling

Andrew Scott and his new cat, Kipling, are using their saved funds to pay off some bills before the holidays. Brittany Lowman adopted Squirtle, a kitten she fostered for months. She used the money to add Squirtle onto her apartment lease and to save for any medical care he may need in the future. Lowman explained, “I want to thank not just Priority Automotive but every Richmond SPCA employee and volunteer who helped take care of Squirtle and helped me not only transition myself to owning my very first cat, but to adding a new member to my family.”

Priority Automotive will be covering adoption fees for all cats and dogs through December 19.

December 09, 2014

Editor’s note: Last Friday we shared a video of Elvis, a dog in our care who has only walked with a wheelchair cart since suffering a spinal cord injury in his previous home last spring. In the video, our animal care staff captured Elvis taking steps on his own for the first time thanks to the extensive supportive care Elvis has received at the Richmond SPCA. The video has been viewed by thousands and shared by hundreds more.

Today we bring you a guest blog by Erin MacKay, the wife of our lead animal care technician, about her experience inviting Elvis home for Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving has always been a very family-oriented holiday for my husband Danny and me. We've always had a habit of taking in anyone who didn't have family around and giving them a nice hot meal and good conversation. From doing this year after year, we got the idea to invite over one of the many homeless pets my husband works with. When Danny described Elvis, the little Basset mix in a wheelchair, I just knew he had to be the one. So on Thanksgiving, Elvis was loaded into our car and home he went!

The day Elvis came to stay with us his wheelchair was "in the shop" so to speak, but he made it around just fine with the help of Danny. As soon as he came through the door our two dogs, Pudge the pug and Smudge the French bulldog, came flying off the couch to greet him. Elvis accepted all of their sniffs and kisses and even gave them a few of his own! I think if his tail worked a bit better it would've been wagging like crazy! I was pleased with how well all 3 dogs got along so quickly, Smudge even let Elvis borrow his bone for a bit (which Elvis LOVED)!

After meeting those two, Elvis was excited to find that there were even more friends to make. There were our two cats, who really wanted nothing to do with him. He looked at them curiously and very obviously liked them quite a bit but they'd just get close enough to tease him and then dart away. We also have 3 rats, and boy did he love them! He peeked into the cage over and over again, never making any sort of sudden or overly excitable move, just totally entranced by them. Many times throughout the evening he would go over and peer in at them – he truly adored them. The last friends he met were my friend’s two little girls, and he was wonderful with them. He let them pet him, hug him and tell him secrets.

I spent a lot of time in the kitchen that day, and one of Elvis’s favorite things to do was help me out. He wouldn't beg, but just sit in the kitchen politely and keep me company while I cooked. I gave him a small scoop of green beans for being a good helper, which he ate with gusto. After all of the excitement of the day was over with, I lay on the couch and he indicated he wanted to lay with me. So I scooped him up and he cuddled into me looking quite content.

As the night drew to a close and we all settled down, I think the whole house was in agreement that it was the best Thanksgiving ever.

If you've enjoyed Erin's blog about Thanksgiving with Elvis, you may want to read more about this special dog's journey on our website at www.richmondspca.org/elvis.

To read the biographies of our other regular bloggers, please click here. Before posting a comment, please review our comment guidelines. Please note that our comment policy requires a first and last name to be used as your screen name.